Journal box attachment



March 15, 1955 w, SALE 2,704,217

JOURNAL BOX ATTACHMENT Filed March 22, 1952 United States Patent JOURNAL BOX ATTACHMENT William H. Sale, Richmond, Va., assignor of one-half to Edmund P. Kelly, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 22, 1952, Serial No. 278,078

1 Claim. (Cl. 286-6) This invention relates to journal boxes for railway cars, and has particular reference to means for providing overhanging lugs on the journal box adjacent opposite ends of the opening leading to the dust-guard chamber to facilitate the application of dust-guard caps to the journal box.

The use of dust-guard caps having resilient spring clips at opposite ends has become so commonplace in connection with journal boxes within recent years that virtually all journal boxes are now made with integral overhanging lugs adjacent opposite ends of the opening leading to the dust-guard chamber. However, since journal boxes are made of cast iron they have an extremely long life, and many old style journal boxes not provided with overhanging lugs are still in daily use. This condition necessitates the use of more expensive or less efiicient dust-guard caps because the dust-guard caps having resilient end clips do not fit the old journal boxes having straight walls adjacent opposite ends of the opening leading to the dust-guard chamber.

It is an object of the present invention to provide simple, inexpensive, efficient means for providing old style journal boxes with overhanging lugs so that the same dust-guard caps may be used on all journal boxes. Another object is to secure the lugs in place so that they will serve as efiiciently as the integral lugs. Other objects and advantages of the present structure will become apparent upon reading the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

Figure l is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing a journal box applied to one end of a car axle with the dust-guard cap covering the opening leading to the dust-guard chamber;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, taken along the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view tagen through the dust-guard chamber with the cap omitte Figure 4 is a top elevational view showing the opening leading to the dust-guard chamber;

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the lug forming members;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 2; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail perspective view showing one end of a dust-guard cap.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates a journal box in which one end of a car axle 3 is mounted. The outer end of the journal box is provided with a conventional hinged lid 4 which provides access to the journal for inspection and the application of lubricant when needed. The inner end of the journal box is provided with a pair of spaced walls 5 and 6 which are apertured to receive the end of the car axle. The walls 5 and 6 are spaced to form a dust-guard chamber having an opening 7 through which a dust-guard 8, of felt or similar material, is inserted.

The walls of the journal box adjacent the opening 7 leading to the dust-guard chamber are straight in the construction with which the present invention is concerned. The lug forming member 9, shown in Figure 5, is made of sheet metal and comprises a top wall 10, an inclined end wall 11, and a pair of triangular side walls 12 each having an extension 13 projecting forwardly therefrom. The members 9 are applied adjacent each end of opening 7 with the extensions 13 snugly embracing walls 5 and 6 which project slightly beyond the adjacent top wall portion of journal box 2, as shown in Figure 1. The extensions 13 are welded to the walls 5 and 6 to hold the lugs securely in position.

The dust-guard cap 14 comprises a top wall 15, side walls 16 and end walls 17. The side Walls 16 straddle side walls 5 and 6 of the dust-guard chamber, and the end walls 17, which are resilient, snap down over the inwardly inclined end walls 11 of the lugs 9. The lower extremity of the end walls 17 are provided with a slight curl, as indicated at 18, to facilitate application and removal of the cap over the lugs 9. The ends of walls 10 of the lugs abut the end walls 19 of the dust-guard chamber to protect the lugs 9 against deformation by forces that may be exerted against the ends thereof.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the old style journal boxes have the same advantages as the new style after they are converted by having the overhanging lugs welded thereto. The cap 14 may be applied to the opening 7 the same as if the lugs 9 were cast integrally with the journal box, and may be removed therefrom just as readily.

I claim:

In a journal box having straight end walls at opposite ends of a dust-guard chamber formed integrally with the journal box, a pair of sheet metal members adapted slidably to receive the ends of a dust-guard cap and each having a top wall, an end wall inclined downwardly and inwardly from the outer end of said top wall, a pair of side walls, and extensions projecting forwardly from each of said side walls, said extensions embracing the side walls of said dust-guard chamber adjacent the end walls of said chamber and being welded thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

